by Nihar Sharma
Lithina smiled “That is Demosus, please slow down ship, and let him come. We have forgotten him there” and she entered into her chamber.
The speed was slowed down. The captain reached to that boat; a white hand extended out of the cloak covering whole body. The captain looked at the edge of the boat and screamed to alarm all “divine guards.”
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Dark lord was eagerly waiting outside his chamber for her return before blood running in Hades’ vein went dried. A portal and chapter of the oldest black magic was about to open and start, a new dawn would plunge in this war.
Time was the liable to turn him into anxious, he was little tensed but more frustrated, counting the seconds in his mind.
A second line lieutenant came, and saluted and greeted “my lord.” Dark Lord turned around and looked at him. “We have closed the all gates that you commanded but….”
Dark lord cut in, “but what?”
“My lord, gate through caves of lost ocean, is still open and heavily guarded as you commanded. But my concern was…” before he could finish lord interrupted, “umm… she will come” lord sighed.
The only hope left was Lithina and Demosus. If they succeeded that would not take too much of time. There must be some problem and he was bound not to leave out.
“What is the order then, my lord?” lieutenant asked.
Lord waved his hand and the lieutenant stopped. “Wait, she will come soon. Prepare the army for war; all gates should be tied with unicorn’s hair” lord commanded.
Unicorn used to be the holiest horse in the entire universe; Dark lord never ever killed any of them. He saved a little unicorn several years ago while he was travelling to north to help his queen. That time he saved a calf, he rescued that calf from a ditch by putting his life in danger and that act of his impressed that calf’s parents and they gifted him their hair which were holiest and no divine or evil power could tear.
Dark lord had to go for Lithina to find out where they were stuck.
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“Shit” screamed the captain and flinched, a sword piercing his belly and he fell dead on deck, his blood gushing out and turned the deck pink.
Lithina came out when she heard some screaming, all the crew members were almost dead or wounded, the whole deck was pink in blood and slippery. She looked up, her legs were trembling, waves of fear flowed through her muscular body, and the sword in her hand wasn’t stable. Goosebumps, like she sensed her death before it came to her. The divine soldiers found them. She tightened her breath and grip on her sword’s hilt with both hands, and looked at her right hand side where Demosus’s half body on deck and head was missing and to her left she could see the two more dead bodies, Naida and Slista. They killed everyone without giving a second thought.
“But why they have killed Slista” Lithina thought then she realized “they don’t want to keep any weaknesses.” Lithina sensed the danger and the situation. They came to show no mercy, they would find the gate and destroy their world.
From her left one divine guard started walking slowly without making boot sound and another one started walking from front towards her, she tightened the grip on hilt of the sword, bent it little towards left to capture the air and pace with it. She predicted the guard from left would strike first and front one would strike following first one. She was finding her foot’s grip on deck hard, as it was slippery due to heavy bloodshed. She counted in her mind “seven.”
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The ship reached to the shore of the ocean; it was about to enter into the cave but it was attacked in middle of the ocean. Divine guards were hiding in the chambers and behind the deck’s small pillars, their leader waved hand to one of his guard to watch out.
The guard went out and after few moments the harsh voice screamed out, a body fell down on deck. An arrow pierced his heart and there was no chance he could escape. Leader swallowed his fear and waved second guard to watch carefully. The second guard was also scared.
“Oh god, we are in underworld” whispered the leader. But he was isolated with his men, and impossible to send any raven to his lord. Then he heard and clanking sound of swords mixed up with screaming, he turned around and before he could see the face who was it, he lost his head. The eyes were wide opened in pain and mouth was widened rolled to the corner of the deck and laid from his trembling body, and finally it succumbed to death.
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The ship docked outside the river to entrance. Dark lord himself came to save her but it seemed too late. He lost his final adopted daughter, the last in its kind.
The ship started moving on river now through the cave leading to the gate where only one narrow gate was kept opened for entrance. Gods and their army would break the gate easily, so barriers with spikes and trenches for soldiers to hide, force their rebels to wait and wait and die slowly.
Dark lord walked on the bloody pink deck, where her right leg of half human laid down, both the hands were in pieces and her body was no more to be identified, they threw her body into ocean and head on pike kept by wheel.
He closed his eyes standing where she was standing; tears ran out of his red eyes, heart was full of rage and revenge. The grief had broken him in pieces, in one single day, he lost his friends and son.
He could see now what happened there ‘She flung her sword hard piercing the air through a guard’s body and slicing him into two halves, then reversed her movement with using her left leg up and sword just into the heart of that second guard from front. Another yelled high and flung his sword from the right but he also couldn’t stand before her mighty strike. The arrow was fired from top of the captain’s cabin and it pierced into her heart. The leader stroke her with his spear and put it into her heart again, she was weak and tired but she had cut one more guard with her small knife kept at her waist. They cut her right leg then left one and she was down on the ground bleeding badly. Then the soldier who fired an arrow came down and she thought not to miss the chance and threw her knife hitting at his head to death, and she lost her final breath, then they cut her hands and threw her body into the ocean. She took four with her.’
They were seven and she killed four of them alone. What a brave girl she was? Dark lord yelled out of his chest, he lost his last hope and death of Demosus took everything because he was the one with who he used to share almost everything. He touched his head and whispered in anger “I will not let them to enjoy your death.”
The soldiers, they mourned for while, they never saw tears in their lord’s eyes. Demosus their general killed. Lithina and Suzanne, their centaur leader of horse army were beheaded. The shadow master and fearsome Torriyan turned into ashes.
In one single day the big and powerful leaders of netherworld died and left their world alone unguarded and orphan. The pillars had fallen. The only hope their lord should stand hard and erect, to motivate them to fight the final war, after this world there was no world where they could go.
In the ship, they traced two more dead bodies, one was small kid and another was a lady goat. They didn’t show any mercy to Hades’ family. And two more dead bodies floated on water, Duster and Kortex, they identified. Dark lord looked at them and spat on these dead bodies so that those souls couldn’t travel to any world, would roam around in this ocean forever.
HERMIT’S VALLEY
“Help” he shouted louder from inside the pit. The dark one, he could not see an inch even his own hands. There was nothing except his voice striking back on walls. He sat on the ground keeping his head on folded hands between knees. It seemed there was no hope getting out of this place.
After sometime a thought crossed his mind and he raised himself up. “A light” he muttered, “Yes, light only can lead me out of this pit.” There was nothing except darkness and loneliness then he smel
t something rotten. “Rotten?” he murmured “what would it be?” then his right feet tripped on a stone and fell down on the wet floor.
His eyes suddenly went to light just below that stone. With zeal he picked up that stone and found the light coming from below that meant that pit was made on upper layer. There were so many layers, kind a hover, built up and well designed by an architect named Dusho.
Dusho was well known for architect in all worlds. He never shared the secret of his clients to any one, that’s why he was imprisoned since heaven was renovated, but king’s intension was to find out secret door of netherworld. But he was bound by his profession, and refused to share and as a result he was sentenced lifelong imprisonment.
“The souls…” he whispered, “…are being rotten down” he cursed “shit.” He could not bear the smell anymore and closed that hole by that stone again and breathed long.
The one and only hope with that stone was now gone. Vikram didn’t have any idea how to break this and get rid of this pit.
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“What is this place?” asked Aaditya, the rotten souls were thrown here.
“Sins filtration” gate keeper replied to his question. “Can we go little up?” he smiled but he was sacred to see those souls’ situation.
“Hmm…” gate keeper chuckled “of course prince, that upper place is called pit and nobody could escape that pit unless dark lord commands to rescue” looked at him and smirked “Would you like to go up there?” Silence captured Aaditya and responded nothing.
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The ship was about to reach to end of the gate and in charge captain of the ship honked hard to open the gate. The huge gate clanged and opened. The guards saluted their lord. All bowed down in his respect and stunned with the scenario of the ship.
Yes the whole ship was pink in blood, seemed like that ship was bathed in blood, and carnage took place. The water behind the tide created by the turbine of ship turned pink too leaving the pink trace in river in cave.
Ship was taken inside and docked. The gate was closed at the command of lieutenant and the barriers were put at its best places so that none could easily pass through.
Dark lord landed on dark moist soil and his legs got muddy, the one guard rushed with a cloth and started cleansing it but he refused and held him up and whispered “You cannot cleanse blood, so prepare for spilling more, and get ready.”
Lord looked at his army standing ready for his command at the gate, he saw a glance of fear in their eyes but he showed them the evil through his red eyes. All shouted with cheer for their lord. Lord commanded with shout “Burn this ship and prepare for the grand war.” Army’s cheers and clanging of swords, spears and shields had filled the cave, trembled the walls and created ripples on water. They started beating the drums so hard that king of heaven was able to hear the final music of the war.
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“The divine soldiers have sent a message, my king” a guard came forward and informed.
The king of gods stopped and waved his army to stop marching and rest for while. They were passing through the hermit’s valley; these were merciless and soulless creatures, a hollow rotten body but immortal.
The guard came forward and knelt down on his both knees, showed a manuscript in his hands, folded inside a cylindrical cover made of gold.
“Open it” commanded the king.
The guard nodded and opened the cover, took the script out from the cylinder. The guard looked at the king; the king stared back at him. “My lord” the guard spoke with joy, “It says that divine soldiers killed almost all of underworld” the guard said to his king.
He closed the script and continued with the news on script “Demosus, Lithina are killed on their sail back to netherworld on the lost ocean”. He took the breath longer and the others cheered in joy that they found some waves of relief. Two major commanders of dark lord’s army were deceased.
The king stood, and whole army cheered in his respect, the king threw his necklace to that guard and cheered with shout “The war is ours, we will be victorious and those crawling creatures will die and rot forever.”
The army cheered for the party.
“My lord” a guard whispered near his ears.
He turned around with big eyes to him as he didn’t like the interruption. “A hermit, leader of this valley wants to see you” the guard whispered. “Not now, we are busy…..” the king grinned. “Apology, my lord” the guard cut in “It is urgent”.
The king nodded and said to him “send him to my tent.”
“Yes my lord” the guard left immediately.
The hermit leader was guarded by the guards of the king to his tent. They left him outside the tent and stood guard. The king was lying in his bed. The hermit leader came in and looked at the king, bowed down and greeted, “My lord”.
The king nodded and smiled but it didn’t reach to his eyes. He even didn’t ask him for sitting, but hermit found his seat. “My lord, I have good news for you and a bad news too” the hermit asked.
“Ha…” the king chuckled and commanded “Speak.”
The hermit felt little embarrassed but he had come for a fair trade with king. So he kept silence for while staring at silky carpet.
The king felt little annoyed with hermit’s action but he held his emotion in control, “Will you please tell me what the news is?”
The hermit smirked “my lord, you know everything about us. I came here for a fair trade, we seek for age increasing agents but we don’t find them easily. We cannot die because we don’t have souls inside our body. We are the cursed creatures in this universe but we need agents to keep ourselves younger and stronger. We need something in exchange if you feel so right.”
“Unicorn” the king muttered “holy trinity.”
“Umm…” the hermit smiles back at king.
The king leaned forward “I cannot help you with that, we don’t kill unicorns, they are the holiest horses and we protect them. You may ask for something else.”
“No my lord, I want only what I asked for, if you can’t then you don’t have the news” the hermit smiled again and looked at him sarcastically. The king yawned at his statement and commented “what makes you so sure that we have unicorn’s flesh.”
“My lord, the carpet” the hermit replied; now it increased the flame inside the king’s heart. The king stood up in anger and grinned “you are an idiot. You are talking to the king of gods. My guards can easily get the news from you; you decide which one you like most.”
The hermit laughed out “Look around my lord, who is in charge? We own this valley and you are our guest, you decide either unicorn’s flesh or a god’s flesh.” A direct encounter of challenge of war against hermits which made king scared now.
King looked around, the whole valley was dried and filled with creature without souls, and they would take a second to destroy his army. In their territory, waging war against them would prove to be disaster. King thought and swallowed his anger.
The hermit smiled and was holding the last piece of unicorn’s flesh in his hand. King saw but didn’t say anything. “My lord, we did a trade, a fair one” hermit said to him, “Good news is Torriyan is dead and bad news is the prodigy soul is in netherworld, but another pure soul can turn the war’s face forever” he laughed in joy and disappeared. The king was mused. He had to hurry, hermit was right.
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The Dark lord in his chamber was mused about the new strategy. He murmured “Demosus, Torriyan, Suzanne and Lithina” he continued with their name at his lips. Then the guard came in “my lord” and bowed down.
Dark lord turned around, the guard continued “my Lord, there is a messenger from hermit valley wants to see you.”
The Dark lord nodded. The guard left chamber and walked out. The messenger
was sent inside to lord. The old man with no eyes seemed those were dug out from his head.
Lord pleaded, “Please let me know how may I serve you.”
The old hermit chuckled, and said to him “I have heard about you a lot, you don’t respect anyone but I know now that you are very good master.”
“Thank you” lord thanked and held his hand and took him to the chair and made him comfortable there. The hermit touched his head and whispered to his ears “you may live long and reign long.” Lord smiled and sat in his chair.
“Hermit leader has taken the last piece of unicorn’s flesh from king and the heaven’s army, they are passing through our valley” the old hermit added. “Your son, who protected your hidden world, is coming back, and they will use him to destroy you and your people. Use that poor pure soul who you threw in the pit and game plans had changed a lot” he continued and lord was listening to him carefully.
The old hermit smiled at him and disappeared into white smoke, seemed it was liable to him staying alive since message was delivered to right person.
The lord called for guards; they appeared “yes my lord.” “Bring Vikram” lord commanded and left the chamber in hurry to the prison where Hades was kept prisoner.
The guards stood up when they saw their lord rushing towards, they opened the gate and lord rushed inside and took out his knife from scabbard hanged on his waist, went to Hades and whispered, “thank you friend, now you may go and rest in peace with your family.” Hades looked horrified, his life came to an end, eyes were misted and his heart was thumping for last time. Lord looked deep into his eyes and sighed, and then pierced the knife right into his pumping heart and Hades panted long, looking at his old friend’s eyes and left his body.
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“It is out of control my lord” a soldier spoke to his future lord, the prince.
Prince looked at the mirror “yes, as we come closer to this gate, the monster will be more powerful. It is a good sign.”